Overview & Reviews

Acura is an upscale automaker known for offering cars with impressive levels of luxury, features and performance. It's come a long way in a short time, however, as the history of Acura is relatively brief. Parent company Honda introduced the Acura brand to the U.S. market in 1986 in an effort to create a separate luxury division for its products. At first, it was just a two-car show: the Legend sedan, which was the first true Japanese luxury car sold in America, and the Integra sport coupe and sedan.

Though essentially a marketing creation for the North American market, the Acura brand was immediately successful. Consumers liked the features, performance and upscale image of Acura cars, along with the fact that Acuras were backed by Honda's reputation for reliability and low ownership costs. In 1991, Acura introduced its crown jewel: the all-aluminum NSX sports car, which offered performance close to that of other exotic cars while undercutting them in price.

As Acura's product line grew in the 1990s, however, the company struggled a bit. Some of its products were duds, and it risked alienating loyal customers when it replaced the Legend and Integra names with alphanumeric designations. The company jumped on the hot luxury SUV bandwagon in the mid-'90s with the SLX. Unfortunately, the SLX was just a rebadged version of an Isuzu SUV, and its quality did not match customers' expectations.

For the new millennium, Acura revamped its product range. An all-new SUV called the MDX debuted, sporting numerous family-friendly features, including a third-row seat. The Integra was replaced with the RSX sport coupe, and an all-new entry-level sport sedan called the TSX was introduced after that. A complete redesign of its most popular model, the midsize TL sedan, followed, as did a redesign of its flagship RL luxury sedan.

By mid-decade the NSX was gone, but Acura filled out its model lineup with the street-performance-oriented RDX compact crossover, the TSX wagon and the ZDX, a fastback-styled crossover that placed unique styling over practicality. Today Acura is still trying to find its ideal niche but there's no denying the quality of Acura's vehicles, nor their appealing mix of performance, technology and value.

User Reviews:

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  Just got my car - 1998 Acura TL
  By Deb - December 29 - 10:30 pm

  We reviewed this year for the TL and so far Im delighted. Its beautiful and rides like a dream, although it does have some road noise, but the stereo is awesome. Im confident it will be an excellent car for us. We looked at the 1999-2003 TLs and the transmission problems scared us off. We have a 2002 RL, and although the TL is not as luxurious as that, it is just as fun to drive and it has all the same toys, just a little smaller, and I LOVE this car! The metallic blue paint is just beautiful also, and this car is in perfect shape.

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  Shes a KEEPER !!!! - 1995 Acura Legend
  By Stephanie Joy - December 29 - 6:16 pm

  I have had by Acura now for 3 yrs & it has about 158k miles. I am a realtor & this car has been soooo reliable & enjoyable. It rides & looks great. I was considering treating myself to something newer like the 2004 Infiniti M45 or 2004 BMW 5 series. However, after reading the reviews I dont know.... I already have a jewel !!

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  ricks pick - 2004 Acura TL
  By Rick - December 29 - 2:56 pm

  Stylish and best bang for the buck. Smooth handling like a sports car. Quiet running.

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  great car! - 2005 Acura MDX
  By mell - December 28 - 11:00 pm

  very fun to drive, the dvd player is very nice. very roomy 2nd and 3rd row seating, fits 7 passengers comfortabley or TONS of cargo. navigation system is VERY helpful. very comfortable ride.. but it is a gas hog. goes good in snow and ice.

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  2 Years of Flawless Ownership - 2004 Acura MDX
  By PC MDX - December 28 - 5:33 pm

  I have to admit. This is my first SUV, and it is the best on the market by far. I have had no issues, no complaints, and dealer service as been good as well. Buyers of SUVs should evaluate before purchasing, since it took me 3 months to decide between the Lexus RX, the MDX, and the Pilot. The MDX has the best overall performance, features, turning radius and off road ability as comparable to the Pilot. If a person would like to have simple styling, then go with the Pilot. Better exterior styling then go with the MDX, which was the deciding factor for me.

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  Great Car! - 2006 Acura RL
  By pappy164 - December 26 - 10:59 am

  I may not have as much pull as other owners in here because this is my first mid luxury sedan. I can tell you I did drive almost every other vehicle in this class. Although the power of the M seemed to be a little more it didnt have the finese of this vehicle. The Acura RL has some of the most comfortable seats in the class and with the AWD you can really shoot around corners. With the VTEC you dont get that low end torque (altough its not wimpy at all),but you do get great mid range power (30-70 MPH range) this is where this car really performs. Although a vehicle with this much technology is kinda intimidating at first, Acura seems to be easier to leanr than the other brands. Great car!

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  i love my tl - 2003 Acura TL
  By 03tl - December 26 - 10:00 am

  theres only one thing i can say about this car. that thing being i love it. i cant wait till the 2004 model is out so i can get that one

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  Great car! - 2002 Acura TL
  By KDS - December 25 - 6:36 pm

  It may not be the fanciest vehicle, but its a fun and comfortable drive.

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  Love it. - 2007 Acura MDX
  By LC - December 24 - 4:33 pm

  The MDX is a very smooth ride, easy to handle and extremely comfortable.

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  First SUV - 2006 Acura MDX
  By Snow - December 24 - 4:03 pm

  This is the third Acura I have owned. It is great vehicle. Fun to drive, handles well in ice and snow. Great sound system. Over all I am very happy with the MDX. This is my first SUV, and I wouldnt go back to a car after driving this vehicle.